


Night of Black Moon

by Pidgeapodge



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Minor Violence, Suspense, The moon is gone, minor horror, outsider pov, s01e20 - The Siege of the North Part II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:40:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27620131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pidgeapodge/pseuds/Pidgeapodge
Summary: The moon turns red, then disappears. We see how Team Avatar reacts. How does this look to the rest of the world?
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	1. Arna

**Agna Qel’a, Northern Water Tribe**

Arna looked up at the sky, not believing what she was seeing. The moon had turned red, as red as the armor of the Fire Nation soldiers destroying her home. 

She does what she can to fight against the invaders. If only the stupid men of the tribe had let women learn fighting, but  _ noooo _ ! She had to learn healing.

And okay, healing was extremely useful and Arna loved the feeling of accomplishment that came with successfully treating a patient, but sometimes she wanted to bash some heads too! Especially when some of the creepier guys tried catcalling her. 

Then they would wish  _ they _ knew how to heal.

The Southern girl, Katara, had told her stories from her travels. Of Fire soldiers and pirates. Of children warped by war and impoverished lands abused by the Fire Nation. Of fortune tellers and spirit shenanigans. Of a small Earth Kingdom island named after an Avatar that had an elite, all-female fighting force — composed entirely of nonbenders. Arna thought that sounded cool. Maybe when all of this was over, she could visit.

The battle paused around them as the sky turned red with the bloody light of the moon. 

Clearly, something was going on. Was this a sign from the spirits? A punishment due to the invaders coming into the city? Or was it a sign that the spirits had abandoned them for abandoning their sister tribe?

Or worst of all… spirits forbid… did something happen to Tui?

As soon as Arna had this thought, the moon returned to its rightful color. Arna breathed a sigh of relief…

And then the world plunged into darkness.

Shouting erupted all around them, and fear seized Arna’s heart. This was very clearly Not A Good Thing.

She tried to summon water to herself to put up a defense, maybe some ice walls, but… she couldn’t bend. The water didn’t respond to her. Arna suddenly felt a terrifying hollowness inside her chest, like an important part of her was suddenly missing.

_ What happened to Tui? _ she wondered. 

Fire illuminated the scene in flashes as the invaders pushed forward. Everything had a washed-out, grayish look to it without Tui’s light. The nonbender Water soldiers surged forward, undeterred by a lack of bending and filled with rage at whatever the Fire Nation did to their precious Moon Spirit. Shouts of anger and hatred from both sides rose up as the two sides clashed together and the battle raged furiously.

Arna felt an unnatural chill, colder than anything she had ever experienced in the frozen tundra that was her home. She ducked out of the way of the battle, trying to find a place to hide until her bending came back.

If her bending came back.

_ If _ the moon came back.

How could someone take away the moon? How was that even possible?

A great roar rattled Arna to the bone, but it did not come from the battle before her. In fact, the battle went silent. Arna ducked into a doorway and turned her gaze towards the back of the city, where the Spirit Oasis was.

A giant, glowing mass of water rose from the direction of the spirit oasis. It took the vague form of a bipedal koi? A bipedal koi twice as tall as the tallest building in Agna Qel’a. It glowed with power, and waves of rage rolled off of it. Where the creature’s heart should be, Arna could make out the faint outline of a tiny person with glowing eyes and lines across his body. The Avatar.

Arna knew at once what this monster was. It was La, the Ocean Spirit. And he had come to avenge his beloved.

La bellowed out another great roar, and Arna dropped to her knees. She pressed her forehead to the ground, bowing towards the great spirit, the pull to Tui’s push, as he made his way towards the invading forces. She heard shouting and weapons clattering to the ground from the battle that was now to her back. She couldn’t tell if it was the Water Tribe soldiers dropping their weapons in awe, or the Fire Nation soldiers dropping their weapons in fear, or possibly a mix of both. 

The sound of sloshing water and roaring waves made its way towards Arna as La surged forward in grief, crying out for his beloved Tui. She heard water rush past her, and she could see the glow of La’s power in her peripheral vision, but she did not dare look up to see what La was doing. 

More screaming sounded from behind her. Boots pounded against ice, growing fainter and fainter, as La rampaged towards the harbor where the Fire Navy ships were gathered. Arna kept her forehead to the ground.

Another great and terrible sound came from the harbor. Even though it was so far away, its volume hurt Arna’s ears. The sound of a great storm, of crunching metal, of La’s grief combined in a cacophony of death. Arna could feel her heart breaking. Just when she thought she couldn’t bear it anymore, the noise stopped. 

Silence. Arna didn’t know how long the silence stretched on for, but she eventually heard a sloshing noise make its way back towards the Spirit Oasis. She felt the water around her calm, and she had no clue what was happening. 

Wait…

She  _ felt  _ the water around her.

Slowly, Arna lifted her head up. She could no longer see La’s embodiment, but she could see the city. 

She lifted her eyes higher, and saw the reason she could see the city; the gentle light of the moon. 

Arna smiled. Then, she heard cries for help. Injured soldiers lay behind her, moaning in pain.

Arna rose to her feet and gathered water to her hands. She had work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arna is short for Arnaaluk, an Inuit name meaning “Big woman” or “Spirit of the woman under the sea.” I’ve decided the Chinese characters that spell out her name would be 爾娜 for Arna, or 爾娜露克 for Arnaaluk. The transliteration is completely phonetic.


	2. Jin

**Lower Ring, Ba Sing Se, Earth Kingdom**

Jin had just enjoyed a nice meal with her parents, and was taking the time to look at the stars. 

The Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se was quite dirty and crowded. Some might describe it as “claustrophobic.” So, Jin liked to turn her attention to the stars. 

The sky was so beautiful, so expansive, so  _ free _ , that it gave Jin a nice escape from the struggles of the Lower Ring, if at least for a little while. She knew all the constellations by now. She could see Oma and Shu, the dragons Ran and Shaw, the spirit fish Tui and La. She could make out the Badgermole and the Flying Bison, with the star in its head marking “north,” by which the Air Nomads of old would navigate. She could see the constellation of the Lion Turtle.

The beauty of the stars was part of why Jin loved the Fire Fountain so much. Besides being her parent’s special spot, the way the fire reflected in the water reminded her of the stars. 

Jin sighed. The sky was especially beautiful that night. She felt like she could stare at the sky forever. 

And then the moon turned red.

Jin sat up abruptly. She knew the moon could turn red due to the effects of a lunar eclipse, but there wasn’t any lunar eclipse coming up as far as she could remember. What was the meaning of this? 

She wasn’t the only one who was curious. All around her, she heard gasps and murmuring as her neighbors came out to look at the sight. What could possibly cause the moon to turn red.

Jin didn’t have much time to question. Dai Li agents swiftly glided out of the shadows and into the crowd.

“Return to your homes. Everything is fine,” said one of the creepy men dressed in black and dark green.

Many of Jin’s neighbors immediately turned and began to walk back to their homes. It was never wise to cross the Dai Li.

“Why’s the moon red?” asked a particularly brave old man.

“Natural phenomenon. Likely a lunar eclipse, or some dust in the air. Return to your homes. Everything is fine.”

The crowd continued to disperse, just as the moon returned to its natural color.

The Dai Li agent who spoke turned to the moon, then back to the crowd. “See? Nothing to worry about.”

And then the moon turned black.

Shouts immediately rose up in the square. Jin could barely see a thing. The moon was so full before, very few lanterns were lit. 

“Everyone, stay calm!” came the voice of one of the Dai Li. 

“The moon’s gone!” cried someone in the crowd.

“It’s the end of the world!” shouted another.

Jin felt her heart clench and ran inside to her parents.

“Jin? What’s wrong?” asked her mother.

Jin pulled her parents into a tight hug. “The moon’s gone.”

“What?” said her father.

“The moon’s gone. It was there one second, and the next… gone.”

“Jin, I’m sure it’s just a cloud.”

Jin shook her head. “It was full and bright when I was watching it. And then the entire thing disappeared. It’s not a cloud.”

The commotion from the street grew louder. Jin’s parents broke the hug and strode to the window. They opened the curtains and peeked out.

Dai Li agents were holding glowing crystals. They were trying to keep order, but people were screaming and running around. Even many of the Dai Li agents looked scared.

And wasn’t that a sight. “Dai Li” and “scared” never went in the same sentence unless it was about how scared someone was of the Dai Li.

“What in the…” muttered Jin’s father.

“Look up. The moon’s gone.”

Jin’s parents looked up at the sky through the window. Sure enough, there was a large empty space where the moon should have been, and all the stars in the sky looked dimmer. The only color came from the glowing crystals, which gave an eerie green luminescence to everything around them. As people ran about in the square, strange shadows cast by the crystals danced on the walls. 

Jin hugged her parents close, and they dropped the curtains and hugged her close. She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, in a little huddle in their tiny apartment, but soon more shouts came from outside. 

Jin’s father pushed his daughter and wife away from the window, and took a peek. His face grew into a smile. 

“Honey! Jin! Look!” Jin and her mother came to the window, and they saw that the street outside was much brighter than before. Looking up, the moon came back.

Jin and her family ran into the streets. The people around them were no longer murmuring in fear, but shouting in jubilation. People hugged each other. Even the Dai Li agents were celebrating, jumping up and down or just smiling at the sky.

Jin could feel relief flood her chest as the moon continued to shine gently down. She wondered what in the world could have caused the moon to disappear, and silently prayed that it would never happen again.

The people of Ba Sing Se would wonder about the Night of the Black Moon for weeks. Such a mysterious thing needed an explanation. None was forthcoming. 

The Dai Li would be pleased, at least. This moon business would put a pause on whispers about the non-existent war outside the walls. 


	3. Noriko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moon disappears over the Fire Nation

**Hira’a, Fire Nation**

Noriko looked at her husband and daughter with love. Noren was pointing out the constellations to three-year-old Kiyi, telling her the stories of the stars.

She felt so happy around them. Sometimes she could even forget the small twinge of emptiness in her chest, like she was forgetting something. Something important. But what?

Noriko shook her head. It would only give her a headache to follow that line of thought. She looked to the sky again.

She was happy, in her garden, with her husband, and their daughter and the moon…

…turned bright red.

Noriko looked to her husband with fear in her eyes. Little Kiyi, meanwhile, just gasped.

“Daddy! Why did the moon turn red?”

Noren shook his head. “I don’t know, sweetie.”

Noriko looked up at the blood red moon. She felt a kind of sinking feeling, but she didn’t know why. 

“Maybe it’s just pollution? From the factory?” she suggested.

She looked over at Noren, but both of them were lost for words.

Soon enough, though, the gentle white glow of the moon came back. Whatever it was, seemed to pass.

And then the moon vanished.

“Daddy!” Kiyi cried out, gripping her father tightly. The world was suddenly plunged into blackness, the gray light of the stars doing nothing to punch through.

Noriko summoned a flame to her palm. She wasn’t a particularly skilled firebender, but she could do that much. 

The fire seemed pale and lifeless. Her family looked gray and washed-out in the dim light. 

Noriko looked to Noren for reassurance.

“What happened?”

Noren shook his head. 

“I don’t know. We have to get inside.”

The three of them ran inside their little house and shut the door. They huddled around each other, silently begging the Spirits to protect them and the world. Kiyi was sobbing. 

The Unknown was scary enough as an adult, but for a child it was so much worse. 

They hugged each other for what felt like an eternity, before Noriko noticed a gentle light coming through the window. She released her husband and daughter and made her way over to look.

“Dear?” asked Noren, looking up.

Noriko peered out of the window, looking up at the sky. She smiled.

“Honey, Kiyi, come look! The moon’s back!”

Kiyi bolted over to the window, while Noren stepped cautiously. Looking out, they saw their yard illuminated by the gentle white light of the moon.

Noren breathed a sigh of relief. Noriko let out a giggle, happy that the moon was back. Kiyi simply gasped.

“She’s beautiful,” said Kiyi.

“Who is?” asked Noriko.

Kiyi pointed up at the moon. “The moon, Mommy! The moon! She’s so pretty!”

Noriko didn’t know why her daughter was referring to the moon as a “she,” but it didn’t really matter. Noriko looked up at the moon and patted her daughter’s shoulder.

“She sure is, Kiyi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Noriko is Ursa’s new identity, as seen in the comics! Even though she had her memories erased, I like to think that a part of her was still yearning for Zuko and Azula… even if she didn’t realize exactly what it was.


	4. Lieutenant Jee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liutenant Jee wonders what they are even fighting for.

**Deck of the** **_Ember_ ** **, Agna Qel’a, Northern Water Tribe**

Lieutenant Jee looked out at the city they were invading and frowned.

The Northern Water Tribe had no significant targets. Aside from a skirmish many decades ago, there was no conflict with the Northern Water Tribe.

So why were they attacking?

Jee didn’t like it. He didn’t like Admiral Zhao either. Sure, sharing a ship with a bratty prince for three years was awful, but at least they had General Iroh’s pleasant company. And at least Prince Zuko had  _ some _ honor.

When they arrived at the Southern Water Tribe, the prince had them leave promptly with the Avatar in custody. When the Avatar escaped, Prince Zuko didn’t demand that they raze the tribe in retribution. The thought didn’t even seem to cross his mind.

He simply followed the Avatar.

For all the prince’s blustering and shouting, he treated his enemies honorably.

Jee couldn’t say the same for Zhao. Something about him was off. It seemed like the higher up you went in the ranks, the more corrupt and dishonorable people there were (General Iroh excepted).

Meanwhile, some of the most honorable people Jee knew were sent on a wild goose-tortoise chase with a banished prince on a dinky ship. People like Chef Vai, who was disciplined for feeding prisoners “larger portions” than they were entitled to. Or Ensign Gao, who objected to the practice of putting prisoners of war on the front lines in Fire Nation uniforms. Or Sergeant Tenma, who refused to capture “enemy combatants” stealing food when he realized that they were children — not even ten years old. 

Iroh’s explanation of the prince’s scar had really rankled Tenma in particular.

All these honorable people, demoted and shamed, specifically for acting honorably. Even Prince Zuko, who had tried to stand up for the 41st Division, and who earned a scar and banishment in return. It turned Jee’s stomach.

And now, they were poached by Admiral Zhao, plopped on a new ship (Jee was told that the one they had shared with Prince Zuko for almost three years was destroyed), and facing down the Northern Water Tribe for reasons Jee couldn’t begin to understand. 

Jee sighed. Nothing he could do about it at the moment. They just continued to keep the  _ Ember _ steady and fire the trebuchet at the city.

Something weird happened with the light and Jee shivered. He heard gasps and shouts around him.

“The moon! The moon!” shouted his men.

Jee looked into the sky. A blood red moon hung in the night. He furrowed his brow.

It was certainly unusual, but it was likely a trick of the light, especially with all the smoke and pollution caused by the fleet of ships and the battle. Jee didn’t think it warranted much attention, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was going to happen.

Soon enough, though, the moon returned to its natural color. Jee breathed a sigh of relief. 

_ Nothing to worry about, _ thought Jee.

And then the moon disappeared. 

A cry rose up, from the  _ Ember _ and the other ships in the fleet, and Jee felt the color drain from his face. A red moon was one thing, a trick of scattered light…

But how in the name of the Spirits could the moon simply  _ vanish _ ?

The stars seemed to dim, and sure enough, there was a giant, circular hole where the moon should have been — where it was just a second ago. 

Even the light of the flames from the trebuchets and the burning city were dimmer. 

This was wrong. This was unnatural. Jee knew, deep in his bones, that some great abomination had taken place. Only the gravest of sins could cause the moon to disappear.

_ What is going on? _ wondered Jee. 

A loud rumble was heard from the city. Without the light of the moon, it was hard to see, but it seemed like something was moving. A great mass of water.

_ Is that a tsunami? _ wondered Jee.  _ From  _ inside  _ the city? _

Jee did not wonder for much longer as the great watery thing rose up to its full height and began to glow. Jee could see its eyes open, and patterns form across its skin… if water could be said to have skin. It looked vaguely like a koi fish.

And it was clearly very, very angry.

Jee turned to the helmsman. “Reverse course. Get us out of here!”

“But sir, the siege—”

“Damn the siege! The moon just vanished and a giant spirit monster is coming right at us! I will not have my men die on a fool’s errand! Now reverse course!”

The helmsman saluted. “Aye aye!” He began to turn the  _ Ember  _ away from the city of Agna Qel’a.

Jee stepped up to the speaker system in the cockpit of the ship. “Attention all crew. We are making a tactical retreat. To your stations, and prepare for rough seas.” Jee turned to face the helmsman once more. “Full speed!”

“Aye aye, sir!” answered the helmsman. The ship turned away from the city and the glowing spirit monster, and began to chug away parallel to the icy shore. 

Jee looked towards the other ships. A few seemed to have similar ideas and broke away from the main force, but the vast majority of ships stayed where they were. Some of the ships in the center could not get out, surrounded as they were by non-retreating ships. 

Jee heard a splash and looked starboard. Steam rolled off of the ocean. He glanced up and saw a fiery projectile coming towards the  _ Ember _ .

“Evasive maneuvers! Friendly fire!” shouted Jee.

The helmsman began to move the ship in a zigzag motion to decrease the likelihood of getting hit. Jee shook his head. As if the spirit monster wasn’t enough, they were getting fired upon by their own men?

_ I suppose this is technically cowardice, _ thought Jee. Deserting the battlefield and refusing to fight was a crime punishable by death in the Fire Nation. Part of Jee wanted to turn back around and face death with honor. 

A roar rattled the ship, and Jee saw the spirit monster was almost at the ruined wall of Agna Qel’a. Jee quickly decided that there was a difference between honor and foolishness. There was no defeating the spirits. The crew of the  _ Ember _ had friends and families, people who missed them and were waiting for their return. Jee knew he made the correct choice.

The spirit monster roared again, and reached its arms out. A great wave rose, taking the Fire Navy ships with it. It grew higher and higher, before cresting and crashing back down on itself. 

The noise was terrible. Not just the sound of millions of gallons of water rushing and crashing, but metal creaking and bending and breaking, men crying out in fear, for mercy, for their mothers, before sinking into the briny depths. The monster waved its arms again, and another wave rose and fell upon the ruined remnants of the Fire Navy. Some of the ships towards the rear were pushed back, but the vast majority of the ships that did not flee formation were broken like eggs and drowned. 

Jee felt his heart clench. So many souls, lost forever, so far from the light of the sun. So many people damned to death by the choices of a few higher ups. He knew he made the right choice in fleeing, but his heart broke for the thousands who perished before his eyes. And a worry wriggled its way into his head, too; would the spirit pursue the fleeing ships as well?

Before Jee could think on that for very long, a soft white light caught his attention. He turned his head towards the sky, and saw the gentle glow of the moon. Hope caught in his chest.

The spirit noticed the moon’s return as well. It looked up at the sky, and seemed to grow softer. Then, it made its way back into the city, growing smaller with each step. 

Jee released a breath. He turned to the helmsman. 

“Set course for the Earth Kingdom. Full speed.”

The helmsman nodded. “Aye aye, sir.” He turned, then looked back at Jee. “Sir?”

“Yes?”

“Are we… are we traitors, now?”

Jee looked at the few surviving ships, also fleeing the Northern Water Tribe. “They say history is written by the victors, and it appears that the enemy has been victorious.” He turned to the helmsman. “However, it seems that the only remains of our forces are those who made the same choice we did; to retreat. Without anyone to doubt our account of the story, I doubt we have anything to worry about.”

The helmsman’s shoulders relaxed. “Thank you, sir.”

Jee nodded. “Just get us as far away from this place as fast as you can.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

Jee left the cockpit of the  _ Ember _ and made his way to his quarters. He sighed. So many people died today. What had they even died for? He felt empty inside. 

Jee needed to sleep. And he, as well as all the survivors, would spend the next weeks processing the massacre they just saw. Wondering what this was was even for. 

Jee hoped that General Iroh and Prince Zuko were alright, wherever they were.


	5. Kanna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanna reflects, and hopes her family is safe.

**Harbor Area, Southern Water Tribe**

Kanna felt her heart lift when she saw the moon return. Everything had turned pitch black when it had disappeared, and the remnants of the tribe cried out in fear. 

Her thoughts turned to her grandchildren, so far away. Had they made it to the Northern Water Tribe? Were they alright? 

Kanna knew that the moon vanishing meant that something happened to Tui. She knew that Tui resided somewhere in the Spirit Oasis, and that if something happened to her, the moon would be affected as well. Her thoughts once again turned to her grandchildren, and she hoped that they were safe. That the young Avatar was safe. 

She thought of her son as well. She sent a short prayer to the spirits, asking them to watch over him. Her little family suffered so much heartbreak. She couldn’t bear for more. 

She wondered how Katara was faring with her waterbending. Did she find a master to teach her? Did the North change since she left? She regretted forgetting to tell Katara about the North’s sexist traditions, but so much was going on and she knew her grandchildren needed to set off as soon as possible. She hoped Katara found what she was looking for. 

Kanna looked at the moon again. Something seemed different about its gentle light. Kanna couldn’t put her finger on it, but something was certainly different. Almost like the moon was… younger. How could that be?

Kanna shook her head. She would likely never know. She sent a prayer of thanks to the spirits, and asked them to keep her grandchildren safe on their journey.

The moon seemed to wink at her prayer. Kanna didn’t know what that meant, but she did feel a peaceful feeling growing in her chest. Maybe things would be alright. 


	6. Ziran

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An injured Fire Nation soldier receives medical attention.

**Agna Qel’a, Northern Water Tribe**

Private Ziran groaned as he clutched his leg. An arrow stuck out of his calf. Pain radiated from his leg, and it was everything he could do not to cry out. 

He wasn’t safe here. A giant rampaging spirit monster just passed him, and he didn’t like being in a place that had giant spirit monsters. He needed to get out. 

But he couldn’t get out. Because he had been hit with an arrow. In his calf. 

Ziran clenched his teeth and tried to stifle his groan. His arrow wound was  _ not _ getting any less painful. 

He heard footsteps approach him. Ziran’s heart beat like crazy. Should he play dead? 

The person stepped towards him just as he closed his eyes. Ziran tried to control his breathing. He was only sixteen! He was too young to die!

The footsteps seemed to slow, then walk away from him. Okay, he was probably safe then…

An involuntary gasp of pain left his lips as a wave of pain radiated from his injured calf. The footsteps stopped, then reversed course and came back towards him again.

_ Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no, _ thought Ziran.

The person walking crouched down beside Ziran. He didn’t open his eyes, and he tried to stay as still as he could. 

“Fire Nation soldier. He’s still alive. Minor injuries,” shouted a female voice above him. 

_ Minor? _ thought Ziran. This wound could cripple him for life if not properly treated!

Two sets of boots made their way towards Ziran, and two pairs of hands roughly lifted him up and plopped him on a stretcher. 

“Oof!” groaned Ziran. 

He felt cold metal wrap around his wrists and click into place. Of course. She was a prisoner of war now. 

The Water Tribe people hefted the stretcher and took Ziran to some random place he didn’t know. He didn’t open his eyes once. 

The stretcher carriers placed him down inside some kind of tent. They wrapped something around his bicep. Ziran kept his eyes closed. 

He didn’t know how long he was laying there for, but eventually he heard someone make their way over to him. 

“Where are you injured?” asked the female voice he heard shouting to the others. Ziran opened his eyes.

Before him was a Water Tribe girl about his age, with her brown hair done in braids and loops. She was looking at him with open disdain.

He cocked an eyebrow. 

“Where are you injured?” she asked again, clearly unhappy with having to treat a Fire Nation prisoner. 

“Where do you think?” spat Ziran, gesturing to the arrow sticking out of his leg.

The girl rolled her eyes. “I mean, do you have any other injuries, genius.”

Ziran shook his head. “No. I don’t think so.”

The girl came over and looked at his leg. “Move your hands so I can see.”

Ziran took a breath and moved his hands away from the wound. He winced at the stabbing pain that came as he released the pressure. The girl looked at the wound from several angles.

“The arrow punched right through to the other side. It didn’t hit any major blood vessels. You’ll live,” she said.

She didn’t sound quite happy about that. Ziran gasped as she took out a knife. 

“Wha— what are you doing?” Fire flared in his clenched fists. It was weak, but he held his hands in as defensive a pose as he could when he was handcuffed. 

“Put those away. I’m cutting off the arrowhead,” said the girl, and in one quick move she swept the knife parallel to his calf. Ziran felt waves of pain radiate through his leg from the arrow shaft jerking, and his fire went out as all he could concentrate on was not screaming. He barely heard something hard go “thunk” against the table he was laying on. 

“There. Now I can pull the rest of the arrow out,” said the girl. Without warning, without even counting to three, she yanked the arrow shaft out of the wound. Ziran made a squeaking, groaning noise as more pain radiated from the wound. A little bit of blood spurt out when she removed the arrow.

The girl quickly grabbed his boot and yanked it off, then used her knife to cut away his pant leg from around the wound. Ziran shivered as his bare skin was exposed to the cold.

The girl summoned water to her hands, and it began to glow.

“What are you do— ahhh!” Ziran cried, as she placed her glowing water hands on his wound. She placed one hand on the front of his half, and the other on the other side where the exit wound was. Immediately, his pain reduced, and Ziran could actually  _ feel _ his skin knitting back together.

“Healing,” growled the girl. She stood there in silence, healing his leg, and Ziran sat in silence as she worked. After several minutes, she placed the used water into a bucket, and wrapped Ziran’s calf with a bandage. 

“Get comfortable, ashmaker. You’ll be interrogated at some point. Your leg should heal in about a week with daily healing sessions.”

The girl turned to walk away, and Ziran looked from his calf to her. He felt so much better.”

“Wait!”

The girl paused. 

“Thank you,” said Ziran. 

The girl looked over her shoulder, scowling.

“We need our prisoners to be healthy. We’re not monsters, like you.”

She walked away and Ziran laid back on his stretcher. 

He could deal with this tomorrow. For now, he wanted to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ziran’s name is written as 子燃。That also happens to be my Chinese name! Yes, he is a kind of, tiny bit self-insert. Maybe he’ll show up again in a different work, maybe he won't. I don’t know.
> 
> And yes, the healer is Arna! Arna has also been mentioned in my story _Letters from Kyoshi Island_ , it's very "blink and you'll miss it!" 
> 
> And this concludes _Night of Black Moon_! Hope you enjoyed! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Kudos and comments are appreciated! Please let me know what you think! :)


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